Today for Top 5 Wednesday I’ll be listing 5 of my favorite character names. I’ve had a thing for names since I was a kid. I’d spend hours scouring baby name websites, making lists, and creating Sims with my favorites. For the purposes of today’s list, I’ll include more unusual names, over-the-top names, or name combinations to help me narrow down the options.
Aldrea from The Hork-Bajir Chronicles by K.A. Applegate. She has a tri-name like all Andalites (Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan), but I’m especially fond of just her first name. All the Andalite tri-names are great, because as alien as they are, they all make sense and seem carefully chosen. They flow after a while (unless it’s just me because I’ve been around them for decades).
Marilla from the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. Because it’s pretty and unique. Or at least, I haven’t heard of anyone else with this name.
Kainene from Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It’s entirely possible this name is very common in Nigeria, but being a sheltered white American I wouldn’t know, so I’m counting it for this list as unique. It’s a beautiful name.
Amalthea from The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. I mean, really, I can’t think of a more elegant name for a unicorn. (The bumbling, beloved Schmendrick is a close second for favorite name.)
There are many, many fantastic names in the Parasol Protectorate universe by Gail Carriger, but I think Dimity Plumleigh-Teignmott (from the prequel Finishing School series) takes #1 place for me. (Fun bonus points for Major Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings, because it works perfectly for the over-the-top tone of Carriger’s stories, matches the pretentiousness of the character himself, and makes me smile every time.)
And those are my top 5 favorite character names! What are your favorites?
Hissing Potatoes 
Aha, I’m so glad to see I wasn’t the only kid with a thing for names! I was also a writer, too, so it was really awkward sometimes to pull out a baby name book as a teen and go scouring through it for a character name. Ah well. Your name choices are all great! Oh my gosh, I’d completely forgotten Amalthea until you mentioned it! I’ve always loved that name. I should read that series again.
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